1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an improved air conditioning apparatus capable of enhancing performance thereof by furnishing a plurality of independently operable units in an external device collectively connected to one or more internal devices of the air conditioning apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, there are two types of air conditioners: a single body type comprising; a compressor, a condenser, a heat exchanger, etc.; and a partitioned type divided into internal devices comprising a compressor, a condenser, etc., and an external device comprising a heat exchanger, etc.
FIG. 1 is a schematic composition view illustrating a conventional partitioned air conditioning apparatus. As shown therein, an air conditioning apparatus 20 is provided with a first, second and third internal devices 1, 2, 3 and an external device 4.
The external device 4 includes: an inverter compressor 5 for compressing a refrigerant under a high temperature and a high pressure; an external heat exchanger 6 for heat-exchanging the refrigerant; a multi-directional valve 7 for discharging the pressurized refrigerant received from the inverter compressor 5 to the external exchanger 6 during a cooling operation, and discharging the pressurized refrigerant to the internal devices 1, 2, 3 during a heating operation; a check valve 8 for opening or closing the flow path of a highly-pressurized and supercooling refrigerant which was heat-exchanged and pressurized in the external heat exchanger 6; a receiver 9 for storing therein the highly-pressurized and supercooling refrigerant that passed through the check valve 8 during the cooling operation, and the low pressure and high temperature refrigerant during the heating operation; a first, second and third electronic expansion valves 10, 11, 12 for converting the highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant outputted from the receiver during the cooling operation into a depressurized refrigerant; an electronic expansion valve B for heating the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant from the receiver 9 during the heating operation; and an accumulator 14 for temporarily storing therein the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant which was heat-exchanged in the internal devices 1, 2, 3 during the cooling operation, and is heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger 6.
The thusly explained conventional air conditioner's operation and its disadvantages will now be described.
First, the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, the refrigerant compressed under the high temperature and high pressure in the inverter compressor 5 flows into the heat exchanger 6 via the multi-directional valve 7 so as to be heat-exchanged with the external air. That is, the heat is externally discharged and accordingly the compressed refrigerant becomes condensed into the highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant.
The highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant flows from the external heat exchanger 6 through the check valve 8 to the receiver 9 for storage thereof.
The highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant is coupled and flows into each of the electronic expansion valves 10, 11, 12.
After the highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant flows into each of the electronic expansion valves 10, 11, 12 the refrigerant expands and is depressurized to a state of low temperature and low pressure thereof, and then flows from each of the expansion valves 10, 11, 12 to a corresponding one of the internal devices 1, 2, 3.
The low temperature and low pressure refrigerant which flows into each of the internal devices 1, 2, 3 absorbs the heat therearound and evaporates, and then the refrigerant flows into the accumulator 14 via the multi-directional valve 7 so as to be temporarily stored therein, and then again flows into the inverter compressor 5 and is compressed to the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant.
The flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation will now be described.
The high temperature and high pressure refrigerant compressed in the compressor 5 passes through the multi-directional value 7 and branches out and flows into the first, second and third internal devices 1, 2, 3, respectively.
Then, the compressed refrigerant flows and is heat-exchanged by radiating heat into a target room, and accordingly compressed into the supercooling refrigerant. Specifically, the supercooling refrigerant compressed in the first internal device 1 flows into the first electronic expansion valve 10 for cooling, the supercooling refrigerant compressed in the second internal device 2 flows into the second electronic expansion valve 11 for cooling; and, the supercooling refrigerant compressed in the third internal device 3 flows into the third electronic expansion valve 12 for cooling.
The highly pressurized and supercooling refrigerant flows into the electronic expansion valves 10, 11, 12, respectively, and are expanded and depressurized to the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant, and the resultant refrigerant accumulates in the receiver 9. Then, the refrigerant passes through the electronic expansion valve 13 for heating and then flows into the external heat exchanger 6 so as to be heat-exchanged with the external air. That is, the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 16 is evaporated.
The temperature-lowered and depressurized refrigerant which is discharged from the external heat exchanger 6, flows via the multi-directional valve 7 into the accumulator 14 and is temporarily stored therein, and then flows into the inverter compressor 5 for thereby being compressed under the high temperature and high pressure.
However, the conventional air conditioning apparatus has a disadvantage in that, the refrigerant should be appropriately and evenly distributed into each of the first, second and third internal devices 1, 2, 3 by use of the single inverter compressor, so that when the three internal devices are simultaneously operational, the internal devices may be lowered to as much as 80-90% capacity when compared to the initial capacity, thus the true product performance is low.